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Natural hazards · Foster

Foster, RI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Foster comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2010. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Foster?

20
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Foster to be higher than in 20% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Hurricanes10%Heat waves6%Cold waves5%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Foster faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Foster flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Foster, from FEMA’s records.

2paid claims since 2010
$20Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20102026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $9K
  • December Nor'easter: 1 claim, $10K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Foster isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Providence County.
Disasters that hit Foster

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Foster itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Foster.

Brought FEMA money into FosterDeclared for Providence County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

35 households applied for aid $187K aid approved
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

36 households applied for aid $175K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

9 households applied for aid $10K aid approved
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$25K to the Town of Foster for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$21K to the Town of Foster for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$44K to the Town of Foster for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

101 households applied for aid $99K aid approved $566K to the Town of Foster for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$16K to the Town of Foster for repairs
2003

Snow

$9K to the Town of Foster for repairs
Providence County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.
Around Foster

Foster and the towns around it

Scituate: Low, mostly inland floodingKillingly: High, mostly inland floodingGlocester: Very low, mostly inland floodingSterling: High, mostly inland floodingCoventry: Low, mostly inland floodingCranston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingJohnston: Low, mostly inland floodingBrooklyn: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPomfret: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPutnam: High, mostly inland floodingDanielson: High, mostly inland floodingPlainfield: High, mostly inland floodingBurrillville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSmithfield: Low, mostly inland floodingVoluntown: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Greenwich: Very low, mostly inland floodingWest Warwick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFoster: Low, mostly inland flooding FosterScituateKillinglyGlocesterSterlingCoventry
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Killinglymostly inland floodingHigh
Sterlingmostly inland floodingHigh
Coventrymostly inland floodingLow
Scituatemostly inland floodingLow
Fostermostly inland floodingLow
Glocestermostly inland floodingVery low
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Foster covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Foster’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Foster. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Foster total about $1.1M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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